Guard-rail fastener



(No Model.)

G, L. OUMMINS. GUARD RAIL. FASTENER. j

No. 536,134. Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

GEORGE L. GUMMINS, or PHILADELPHIAASSIGNOR TOTHE STANDARD IGUARD-RAIL-FASTENER COMPANY, OF LANCASTER, PENN SYLVANIA.

GUARD-RAIL FASTENERJ SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatentilfi'o:536,1 34, dated March 19, 1895.

Application filed November 4,1893. seismic 0,01 1. (No nhdeL) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. CUMMINS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia,'in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Guard-RailFasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inguard-rail fasteners; and it has for its object to provide a'simple,cheap, durable, and efficient device of this 7 character, which can bereadily applied, and

which will not only firmly hold the'guard-rail 1n position relative tothe main-rail, but will permit the moving of the guard-rail toward themain-rail to close any widening of the' space between them occasioned bythe wear of the adjacent edges .of the heads of those rails.

The invention consists in the construction and combination offthevarious parts, as hereinafter fully'described, and then specificallypointed out in the claim.

The invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a top perspectiveviewof sections of a main-rail and a guard-rail held apart byfillingblocks embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thefilling-blocks detached, showing in broken lines the positionthey occupywhen the space between the rails has been decreased. Fig. 3 is aperspective inner face view of one of the fillingblocks andhig'e aperspective outer face Y16W 0f the other. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionof the rails and filling-blocks on the line cc.,a: ofFig.1. v 1

' i. e l t p e Similar letters indicate like partsthrough out theseveral views. 7

Referring to the drawings, Aindicates one of the main-rails of arailroad tracky A', a guard-rail; B, the bolts; B, the heads of thebolts; G, the nuts on the bolts, and G.', the cross-ties;

D and'E represent filling-blocks interposed between the main-rail andthe guard-rail to maintain the distancebetween them. Thesefilling-blocks are wedge-shaped; the wedges being produced by taperingthe blocks on the to the main-rail.

inner or contiguous faces thereof. When located between the rails theseblocks are placed with the butts and points of one bearing,respectively, against the points and butts of the other, so that thecombined blocks have a uniform Width throughout their length. Blocks Dand E have similar vertical saw-tooth ribs 61 and e, respectively formedon their meeting faces; the ribs being so disposed that those ononeblock engage between those of the other block. The bolt-holes e in blockE are elon gated, as shown in Fig. 4, while the bolt-holes (1, throughthe webs of the rails and block D, are of the usual shape. blocks, whenunited, are of the width to be maintainedbetween the main andguard-rails. As the inner edges of the heads of those rails are wornaway by the action of the wheelfianges, it becomes necessary that theguard- 1 block E from block D and then moving block 7 E one or morenotchesdepending upon the wear of the rail-heads toward the point ofblock D, as shown in Fig. 2, when the guardrail and filling-blocks areagain tightened up These adjustments can be made as often as maybenecessary and the construction of the rails will permit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a main-rail and a guard-rail, of wedge-shapedfilling-blocks in terposed between said rails and having series ofvertical interlocking ribs on their contiguous faces, the rails and oneof the fillingblocks being provided with bolt-holes, the otherfilling-block having an elongated slot registering with said bolt-holes,a bolt engag ing the bolt-holes and slot, and a nut on the bolt, allsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

GEO.- L. CUMMIN'S.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. LANE, WM. R. GEBHART These filling-

